EarPods, look how far we’ve come

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Believe it or not, not everyone wants to hear our music. Maybe they don’t know good music when they hear it, or they're just easily distracted. For this, and for many other reasons, headphones are an absolute must in our daily lives. While we know Steve Jobs didn’t invent earphones, Apple has revolutionised the way we listen to music today, and has evolved the in-ear piece for a better, stylish listening experience.

So, let’s take a walk down memory lane and have a look at how a simple piece of tech has evolved into a “never leave home without it” item in your bag....

In the very dark ages of 2000 and something, people were walking around with their iPods in the pockets. Think about it, the trendiest accessory you own, hiding away from the world. This meant you couldn’t show everyone how cool you were. All anyone could see was the earphone lead - a dreary, black earphone lead. So, in true Jobs style, he did the opposite. iPods became the only music players with white earphone leads. Even if you couldn’t see the iPod, you knew what it was. All the coolest people had white earphone leads. Welcome the 1st generation earbud. These earbuds were so awesome, that even those that didn't own an iPod, would actually go out and purchase them separately.

Next up, the ability to shuffle. Now there was no need to take your iPod out of your pocket. Everyone knew you were super cool, you have a white lead; and now, with the tap of a button, you could skip to your next track.

Fast forward a couple of year, and With that, the ability to store music in your iPhone and talk using your earbuds, the third generation earbuds included a remote, as well as a microphone. This is where in-ear earphones really became a bare necessity for anyone. From travelers using their earphones on the plane, to businessmen and women taking calls on the go, and gym bunnies zoning out to get their ‘pump on’.

In 2012, we saw an entire redesign and renaming the earbuds, now known as the Apple EarPods. This design used clever acoustic vents enabling air to flow in and out, and the result; an improved low frequency sound.

And finally….

Last year, we saw the introduction of AirPods. AirPods will forever change the way we use headphones. Pull your AirPods out of the charging case, and they instantly turn on and connect to your iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad, or Mac. Your tracks will automatically play as soon as you put them in your ears and pause when you take them out. Then the ultimate and coolest feature on the AIrPod, if you want to adjust the volume, change the song, make a call, or even get directions, just double-tap and you have Siri at your beck-and-call.

There is nothing more exciting than ever-evolving technology. If this is what 2017 has in-store for us, we can only imagine what’s to come.